The new TV ad entitled “Maryland Stood Up” will begin running in the Baltimore media market on May 20, 2013 and features a mom, a bishop, and a hunter, discussing the law’s common sense solutions to reduce gun violence.

Governor Martin O’Malley has signed into law the Firearm Safety Act of 2013 — a measure that will save lives and reduce gun violence in the State of Maryland. We commend the Governor and Maryland General Assembly for having the courage to enact solutions that work.

1/25/14: Marylanders To Prevent Gun Violence joins all Marylanders and Americans in holding in our prayers the victims of yesterday’s shootings at the Columbia Mall. Read the full statement here.

9/17/13:MPGV is joined by Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Senator Brian Frosh and Speaker Mike Busch in announcing new radio ads promoting the lifesaving benefits of the Firearms Safety Act. Listen to the ad here.

5/20/13: MPGV announces education campaign on Firearms Safety Act and launches new television ad. See the ad here.

The Problem

The easier it is for a criminal to obtain a gun, the easier it will be to commit a crime with it. That’s why Marylanders to Prevent Gun Violence supports common sense measures to reduce gun violence.

There are always a number of contributing factors to why crime happens, but the lack of licensing, safety training, and fingerprinting of gun purchases is something we can address right away to reduce gun violence in Maryland.

While violent crime in Maryland has been driven down in recent years, Maryland’s murder rate is 44% higher than the national average and Maryland has the second highest handgun murder rate in the nation. A majority of the guns used to commit crime in Maryland originated within the state, indicating that something about our current gun policies is making it easy for criminals to obtain guns. The easier it is for a criminal to obtain a handgun, the easier it will be to commit a crime with it. States like New York and New Jersey that have fingerprint licensing of handgun purchasers have significantly lower handgun death rates than states like Maryland that do not.

We also must do all we can to prevent the tragedies that struck Aurora, Oak Creek, and Newtown from happening here in Maryland. Between 1994 and 2004 when the assault weapons ban was in effect, assault weapons traced to gun crimes dropped 45% nationally. In Maryland, it led to a 55% drop in assault pistols recovered by the Baltimore Police Department. While banning assault weapons and high capacity magazines may not significantly reduce crime overall, a ban does make it harder for a person to obtain a weapon that can cause maximum damage in minimum time.

The Solution

Marylanders to Prevent Gun Violence (MPGV) supports the following common sense measures to reduce gun violence:

1. Require a license to purchase a handgun with appropriate age restrictions, mandatory safety training and fingerprinting, in addition to the current background check done by the Maryland State Police. Research indicates that a license-to-purchase requirement is associated with significantly lower levels of intrastate gun trafficking. A license to purchase would not be required for hunting rifles and shotguns.

Seven states now require fingerprinting before a firearm purchase: California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, and New York.

Feb. 20, 2013 poll shows that 81% of Maryland voters support the licensing of purchase of handguns.Read more.

2. Limit Magazine Capacity to 10 Rounds. Maryland currently allows up to 20 rounds per magazine. The proposed legislation would reduce the allowable magazine capacity from 20 rounds to 10.

3. Ban Military-Style Assault Weapons designed to kill and inflict the maximum amount of human carnage.Maryland currently bans only 15 enumerated assault pistols, but allows for the sale and possession of high-capacity, military weapons designed to kill. MPGV supports efforts to ban these assault weapons that are designed for the battlefield and have no place in our society.

4. Provide the Maryland State Police with the authority to regulate firearm dealers and require that a licensed dealer keep records of all receipts, sales, and other dispositions of firearms affected in connection with the dealer’s business.